Welcome to the WAKE Washington DC Program

Since Wake Forest’s affiliation with The Washington Center in 2006, 168 Wake Forest students, including three post-graduates, have been selected to participate in semester-long or summer internships in their specific areas of academic interest or career exploration. The experience of living, learning, and interning in the Washington, DC area has been described by previous students as “life changing”, “challenging”, and “personally and professionally rewarding”.

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has 70 full-time staff and more than 50,000 alumni, many of whom are in leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

In Their Words…

“Through my WAKE Washington experience, I’ve had the privilege of exploring the intricate dynamics of US relations with emerging powers in the post-Cold War era. My internship at the Woodrow Wilson Center Brazil Institute has exposed me to the inner workings of the research and policy-making communities, and my academic course on US-China relations in the 20th and 21st centuries with a former US Foreign Service Official has broadened my understanding of current international relations. As a Political Science and Spanish double major, this summer in the nation’s fascinating capital and portal to the rest of world has been a time of personal, professional, and academic growth.”

“I wanted to let you know how deeply in love with DC I am and how grateful I am to be here! The internship has been wonderful – I am working alongside health care executives, attending hearings (e.g., last week with Secretary Sebelius and the Senate Finance Committee), and meeting members of Congress daily. I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity…”

“The Washington Center was a phenomenal opportunity and has helped me improve in many areas of my professional life and provided me with networks and opportunities I am very grateful for. I would absolutely recommend this program to other students. Thank you for helping connect Wake students with The Washington Center!”